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What a fun weekend surrounding ourselves with food, wine, and fellow food enthusiasts! The Aspen Food and Wine Classic was a great experience and we are so glad we had the chance to go! We knew it would be a fun weekend at dinner on our first night there Emeril Lagasse and his family were seated right next to us! We were starstruck!

We got to taste lots of yummy food and sample some delicious wines in the tents. The “Grand Tastings” happened 1-2 times a day and there were tents full of tables ready to have you try their goods!

One night we attended the “Texas Outlaw Party” and we were also asked to crock up some slow cookin’ bites! At the party we set up our table with “crockin” colors and displayed our book for people to browse, and we also had “Crockin’ Girls Slow Cookin’ Samplers” (mini books with 8 recipes) there that we handed out at the party. We decided to cook the Shredded Pork Loin Roast from the cookbook- it was a huge hit!

We are LOVING the cRockin’ display at the Pasadena Barnes and Noble! Local design students created everything and we’re SO impressed. If you live in the area be sure to stop by and check it out before July 9th. Thanks Pasadena!!!

Just wanted to share a little interview we did with MyParentLab.com We’re always talkin’ crockin’, but there’s a lot more to being a mom than just cooking that’s for sure. Here’s a little look into our lives outside of the kitchen! Read a snipit below or the full article HERE for Nicole’s take first, then Jenna’s will come later this week. Check them out on Facebook or Twitter too.

Busy “mom-preneur” Nicole pressed the pause button on her Crockin’ Girls schedule to dish with us on her biggest parenting challenges, how she juggles her diverse duties, why family mealtime is a must, and then some!

So take a breather from your must-dos and gain some great advice from one of ParentLab’s favorite contributors, Nicole Sparks.

PL: What are your biggest challenges as a parent?

NS: Consistency with my almost 3-year-old. I know that it is really important for him to consistently see what is right and wrong and know the outcome for the choices he makes. And patience with my 1-year-old. She is so strong-willed!

PL: Your life has shifted dramatically since becoming the famous Crockin’ Girls. How are you navigating those changes as moms and wives?

NS: We took it on as a family, and we have adjusted to our new “normal”! Daddy is doing a lot more chores (I even made a laundry chart for him), and the kids are learning that Mama and Daddy both have jobs that require us to be away from them sometimes. I have also had to change my expectations of how I thought things needed to be done and just be thankful they’re done!

We have issues. Nicole and I are both over packers and we are not afraid to admit it. I have a fear going somewhere and not having everything I need. Why didn’t I bring those coral shoes?!

For a four day trip we have both packed a large suitcase (which we weighed in with fingers crossed, lol!), a small “rolley”, and a “purse”. All busting at the seams and bulging, we envy those who breeze into the airport with one dainty rolley thinking, “How do they do it?!?!?!”. The trip for Aspen has been particularly tricky because we have been told the weather is about 75 during the day and 45 at night, so that basically means we need 2 outfits a day! Not to mention the mind changing routine that leaves you with clothes strewn out everywhere, or is that just us? We are going to be on the road a lot, so we would LOVE to hear your tips and tricks for packing light! Thanks y’all!!!